By Brenda Kayo:
It is January 9, 2020. It is supposed to be a joyous day for a 26-year-old Vickness Banda from Matekenya village, in Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa District as she expects to welcome her firstborn child into the world.
But the expectation has one notable challenge. She has to embark on a perilous 31-kilometre journey through hills and valleys to Dowa District Hospital, which is the nearest health facility from the village. This journey is not for the faint-hearted.
Banda, a peasant farmer, has to hunt for K18,000 to get a motorcycle taxi (kabaza) to get to the hospital.
The poor state of the road and the high cost of transportation are a deadly combination, putting the lives of villagers at risk.
As she rides through the darkness, Banda’s labour pains intensify and she realises that she cannot make it to the hospital on time.
With no medical assistance in sight, she turns to the motorcyclist who has never married before for help.
“I had no other option, so I asked the motorist to help me. It was a desperate moment, and I was willing to do whatever it took to bring my child into the world safely,” Banda said.
After giving birth on the road side, she continues her journey to the hospital to receive treatment together with the baby.
Banda’s case is not isolated. Senior Group Village Headman Chimuka says three other women have faced similar challenges by giving birth in precarious conditions due to the lack of access to healthcare facilities this year.
“The situation in our community is nothing short of appalling. It is unacceptable that our young men are being forced to assist in childbirth due to the absence of proper medical facilities. This is not only a health risk but also a gross violation of human dignity,” Chimuka says.
According to Senior Group Village Headman Nkhwele the root cause of the community’s health care crisis is negligence and incompetence of some leaders in government.
He says the abandonment of the health centre project despite the allocation of funds is a stark example of how the leaders have failed the community accusing them of lacking accountability, transparency and commitment to the well-being of the community.
“The fact that our young men are being forced to assist in childbirth due to the absence of medical facilities is a direct consequence of their negligence.
“We demand that those responsible for this negligence be held accountable for their actions. Our community deserves better, and it is time for our leaders to take responsibility for their failures,” said Nkhwele.
Commencement of failed project
In 2013, the community of Matekenya was filled with hope and excitement as the construction of a new health centre began.
The project, initiated during the era of President Joyce Banda, was designed to serve the area’s population of 45 000 people.
The health centre was budgeted at K237 million and was expected to provide vital healthcare services to the community which included a maternity wing, mortuary, dispensary, health workers’ houses and wards.
Ziwuya Building Contractor was engaged for the project.
However, in January 2014, the project was abruptly abandoned to the surprise of the community.
Since then, the community’s dream to have a health centre within their reach has been shattered. Now it is 11 years of torture when they need hospital services.
Where did the funds go?
According to Senior Group Village Headman Chimuka, it is everyone’s question: Where did the funds allocated for the construction of the hospital go?
“The community demands answers and accountability. It is time for those responsible to explain why our hospital was left unfinished, letting our people suffer.
“We will not remain silent in the face of such neglect and incompetence. We demand action, and we demand it now. Our community deserves better, and it’s time for our leaders to deliver,” said Chimuka who adds that Traditional Authority Msakambewa has been stopping the villagers from holding demonstrations over the project.
But Msakambewa, who admits that the people are facing challenges because of the failed project, denies stopping the people from holding demonstrations.
“It is sad that the chiefs are claiming that I have been denying them a chance to complain about the facility. Can a leader deny development? We are engaging authorities and we will construct the facility soon,” says Msakambewa.
Dowa District Hospital Public Relations Officer, Dave Nuka admitted that the people are struggling to access health services.
“We have indeed been receiving cases of mothers delivering along the road. This has been because of transportation challenges. However, the challenge has been reduced since we upgraded the hospital from health post to health centre,” says Nuka whose statement is challenged by the local leaders around the clinic.
Recognising the urgent need for quality healthcare, the chiefs from 179 villages decided to provide their own solution to the health crisis. They mobilised their communities and contributed K12.5 million towards building a health post which the district office says was upgraded to a health centre.
The facility initially focused on providing healthcare services to under-five children, but due to the growing needs of the community, it was forced to handle complex medical issues.
The so-called health centre has one building, one clinician and one health surveillance assistant for a population of 45 000 people.
Group Village Headwoman Chifulemba is bitter with the district health office for claiming that the clinic was upgraded to a health centre.
“They said they have upgraded the health post to a health centre? How can a health centre have one clinician and one HAS (Health Surveillance Assistant)? We have been struggling to get medication. Our people are dying. Where is our money? They need to explain to us,” storms Chifulemba.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Dowa North East Constituency Sam Kawale says the project is an old design that could not be used, as such he is coming up with a new design to build a health centre.
“I became an MP in 2014 and that is when I started upgrading the health post,” explains Kawale who was at pains to explain why the situation has been tolerated for many years.
Head of Health Infrastructure Development in the Ministry of Health Sanderson Kuyeli admits that the health centre in Dowa North East Constituency has indeed stalled for 11 years.
He says the project was abandoned due to “cash gate”.
Kuyeli adds that the donors who funded the project froze the account in 2014 to prevent the government from proceeding with the project because they had lost confidence in the government’s ability to manage the funds effectively.
Despite the setback, Kuyeli expresses optimism that the project can still be revived and that the ministry is currently waiting for the Ministry of Finance to approve the budget.
“The Ministry of Health had ambitious plans to develop various health facilities, including Matekenya, under the sector-wide approach. However, the “cashgate” scandal in 2013 had a devastating impact on the project, leading to the termination of contracts and a lack of resources.
“Fortunately, the ministry has not given up on the project. Instead, we have come up with new plans to construct the affected projects, including Matekenya, in phases. We are just waiting for the budget approval to restart the project,” Kuyeli assures.
Health Rights Activist Maziko Matemba has since called on the Ministry of Health to honour its commitment to resume the stalled hospital project.
“The facility is not just a building but a lifeline for thousands who are suffering and dying in silence,” notes Matemba.
It is yet to be seen if the government is serious enough to stop the women from Matekenya area in Dowa North East Constituency from giving birth along the road.
